seattle's first day of marriage equality

My ultra hip and cool aunt (who lives in ultra hip and cool Seattle) sent me this link highlighting the 60 Moments That Gave Me the Chills on Seattle's First Day of Marriage Equality.

I sat at my computer and viewed the images... and got chills...and tears.  Such happiness in those shots.  Love is such a beautiful thing.

 

ashley's pink wedding dress!

 

Megan Hamilton

Today my friend, Ashley, dons her perfect pink gown and walks down the aisle to marry her best friend, Nick.  I am SO excited for her - and I feel so honored that she invited me, a new friend, to celebrate her joyous day!

I haven't attended a wedding since Tommy and I tied the knot last summer.  It will be so lovely to sit next to my husband, with my daughter in my arms, and to witness (and relive!) the sacred vows that bring two souls together in holy matrimony. 

I love weddings.

*Dear God, please let Clara be her normal perfect self and not fuss during this event.  Thank you.  And also, please let my surgery schedule be perfectly on-time so I have time to change out of my scrubs before the wedding.

our ceremony...in pictures

all photos by One Love

I'm busy this week.  Like -  INCREDIBLY busy.   So instead of words I figured I would share our ceremony photos.  Those were beautiful moments for us.  I must admit, if I haven't already, that I wasn't nervous AT ALL once I got to the alter with Tommy....I was relaxed, excited, so happy...a few tears fell...but they were smiley tears.  (Between you and me, I think Tommy ended up being the nervous one - which neither of us anticipated as he is so rarely nervous! Makes me giggle to think about now!) 

(my personal faves are the last two!!!  you can tell how ecstatic we were!!)

allllllll of these photos are OneLovePhoto....obvs.

hands ceremony

One Love Photo

There were so many elements of our ceremony that made me melt.  Honestly, every word captivated all of me.  A huge reason for that is the presentation of it all was lovely - our dear friend, Megan, officiated.  Her delivery was superb.  A lil tear would drop every once in awhile. 

Until the hands ceremony...and then the tears made their way into little streams down the sides of my cheeks.  I (thankfully) didn't make any of my horrifying weird cry faces....they were just subtle tear pathways down my checks. It was actually a really sweet moment for Tommy and I - to be in such a vulnerable place yet comforting each other silently with the tender touch of our hands. 

We took the typical hands ceremony and spun it around and composed our own elements.  These were some of inclusions that made it special to us:

Jessica, please face Tommy, and hold his hands, palms up, so may see the gift that they are to you.

-These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

-These are the hands that will work along side yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.

-These are the hands of an educator and coach, who's life work helps guide students in the direction of their dreams.

-These are the hands that will make music for you, with the saxophone, guitar, computer, or the dashboard of your car to bring a smile to your face.

-These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.  

-These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

-These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or frief overwhelm you.

-These are the hands that will teach your children how to throw a baseball, ride a bike and pitch a tent.

-These are the hands that will continue to compose eloquent and poetic love letters in your honor.

-These are the hands that will take you on new adventures to experience our beautiful world.

Tommy, please hold Jessica's hands, palms up, where you may see the fit that they are to you.

-These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, and yound, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she promises to love you all the days of her life.

-These are the hands that will hold your children in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging them along the way  and knowing when it is time to let go.

-These are the hands that will hold you tight as your struggle through difficult times.

-These are the hands of a training surgeon who will heal others, yet will come home at the end of the day to embrace your family.

-These are the hands that will bless your with a lifetime of high fives when achievements are made, no matter how small.

-These are the hands that will learn to cook beside you, to bring healthy meals to the family table.

-They are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. 

-These are the hands that will take yours, as your family prays for the Lord's wisdom, guidance, forgiveness and blessings.

-These are the hands that will hold yours throughout the journey form youth to old age. 

I loved this.  Especially the "high fives" acknowledgment...I give an obnoxious amount of high fives.

at last

OneLovePhoto

My fave picture of the procession is this stunner of me and my dad.  I just love it.  It was so nice to walk down holding onto his arm.  I remember those moments so clearly...as if  we made that walk this morning.  I'm glad that my wish came true and that I was super smiley and tears were nowhere to be found!

Instead of walking down the aisle to the classic wedding march, or the lovely Canon in D, I went with a classic love song instead.  This love song always gives me goosebumps...it has a perfectly dramatic prelude that swells and then subsides into pure sweetness.  The melody twirls around in my memory so beautifully.  I let the music play until the words started...anticipation builder you know.

At Last, by Etta James. 

I can't even tell you what I was thinking as I walked down the aisle towards my smiling Tommy.  My heart was beating, I was breathing, and my world was about to change forever.  Life is like a song.

it's a beautiful day

It was a funny feeling, watching our bridal leave me behind and walk towards my Groom.  One by one my bridesmaids would look back at me and smile...and I'd wave or wink.  My best friends and sisters with arms linked to Tommy's best friends.  It was exciting.

The order of our procession was a tad on the nontraditional side.  Tommy accompanied my mother down the aisle, followed by Tommy's parents, then two by two our bridal party joined them.  Traditionally, I know that the groomsmen all walk out with the Groom in one massive male herd and the bridesmaids walk out solo....that's how every wedding I've ever been to has flowed.  Except, I always felt sooo awkward walking down by myself as a bridesmaid, so I knew my girls would walk down with handsome men at their sides.  Plus, since my Dad was walking me down the aisle, it was lovely that Tommy walked my mom down.  Tommy had no reservations about being up there by himself for a few moments - he was pretty much the star of the show so it all worked out fab!
 
Tommy selected the U2 song, Beautiful Day, as the processional song.  Talk about a glorious song choice.  It WAS a beautiful day!!  Our beautiful day.  Whenever I hear it now, my belly gets all sorts of butterflies :-)

our vows

I know I shared our ceremony readings with you on our wedding day, but it's the vows that I continually think about.

When faced with what kind of vows we wanted ...it was tricky.  My husband, as I have mentioned before, is quite the poet as he received his BA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis.  So the boy can compose elegant passages...pretty enough to bring tears to my eyes.  He's also a teacher, and is super comfy in front of large groups and is not easily rattled.  I was more nervous, more reserved about the vows.  I wanted to speak as little as possible, as I knew my emotional state would be questionable on our wedding day.  Not to mention the daunting task of composing my own vows was sure to push me over the edge. 

We looked at a few different types of vows, and settled on both composing our own and yet keeping it sweet and simple.  We ended up memorizing them, and speaking them to each other (via microphone so our guests could hear!).  I was a little nervous about it and made Tommy practice with me a couple times that morning.  Surprisingly enough, I was calm and collected by the time I said them to Tommy during our ceremony....forever imprinting them into my conscience.  They warm my heart every time I hear them, think them, say them:

Tommy:  I vow to love you.

Jes:  I vow to love you.

Tommy:  To be your best friend ever.

Jes: To be your biggest fan and most solid supporter.

Tommy:  To kiss you everyday.

Jes:  To embrace you everyday.

Tommy: To keep our dreams alive.

Jes:  To take you on a hundred adventures.

Tommy:  To encourage your passions.

Jes:  To cherish your heart.

Tommy:  Do you vow to be my wife?

Jes: I do.  Do you vow to be my husband?

Tommy:  I do.

Goosebumps.  Even now as I type them out. These words have been running through my mind constantly since our wedding....they really have.  I find myself re-living our ceremony over and over....more so than any other aspect of the event...I did not anticipate this.

I'm so glad we composed our own ceremony and our own vows.  It was, by far, my favorite part! 

How did you compose yours?   

our love words weekend

I've decided to keep the script that Tommy and I composed close to our hearts, for us to revel in, for us to enjoy...and for our guests to experience.  However, I would love to share with you our readings.  Tommy and I each have two siblings, and all are in our bridal party.  We wanted to include them in our ceremony in a more prominent way, and invited each of them to give a reading during the ceremony.  (There are three readings here, Tommy's little sister read a prayer at the beginning of the ceremony.)   These literary passages give me goosebumps...and I love the poem by Neruda.

An excerpt from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke-the language that everyone on earth is capable of understanding in their heart. It was love.

Something older then humanity, more ancient then the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen-the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life.

It was the pure language of the World. It required no explanation, just as the universe need none as it travels through endless time. What the boy felt at that moment was that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life, and that, with no need for words, she recognized the same thing. He was more certain of it than anything in the world …And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.

An excerpt from A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Heminway 

At night, there was the feeling that we had come home, feeling no longer alone, waking in the night to find the other one there, and not gone away; all other things were unreal.
We slept when we were tired and if we woke the other one woke too so one was not alone. 

Often a man wishes to be alone and a woman wishes to be alone too and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that.
We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others. We were never lonely and never afraid when we were together.

Soneto 17 by Pablo Naruda

I do not love you as if you were a salt rose, or topaz
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
So I love you because I know no other way than this:

where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

vows that wow

 picture from A Practical Wedding - read about this forest lovefest here!

So I've been quiet when it comes to the conversation about our ceremony vows.  I'm not holding out on you or anything...I'm actually too terrified to begin writing.  Like - I have no idea where to start - what to say - how do I pick and choose what elements to include?  These are, quite possibly, the most sacred words I will ever recite in my life...and there is simply so much to say.  Just thinking about it makes my nose bright red and my eyes leak because the man I'm about to marry is so incredible...I really am the luckiest.

Anywho...

When it comes to vows, I'm MUCH more of an "I do" kinda gall, especially with the sobs of happiness I'm anticipating.  I've already mentioned, my guy is allllll about crafting our ceremony and making it ours.  But I think that even if I lovingly composed a sonnet fit for publication, I would read it all wrong...I would rush through it, not give emphasis at the proper places, probably giggle or something embarrassing AND cry at the same time.  Good Lord save me from that monstrosity. 

And then I found this AMAAZINGNESS over at Veiled Vows...and think it's a beautiful thing.  We can craft it to our desires, and yet, have the harmoniously simplistic response of "We do."  

I wonder what my loverboy will think of this?

Malina: Megan and Bob are excited today not only because they can share their love for each other, but also because they have the opportunity to express their aspirations for the future. Megan and Bob, do you promise to help each other to grow, cultivating compassion, generosity, and patience, continuously challenging each other to become better people?

Megan and Bob: We do.

Malina: Do you promise to seek to understand yourselves, and each other, to examine your own minds continually and to regard all life with curiosity and joy?

Megan and Bob: We do.

Malina: Do you promise day to day, to be patient with yourselves and others, knowing that change comes slowly and gradually, and to seek inspiration not to become discouraged?

Megan and Bob: We do.

Malina: Do you promise to remain optimistic that you can achieve your dreams both together and independently? Do you promise to help each other achieve your goals and hold each others’ hands through successes and failures?

Megan and Bob: We do.

Malina: Do you promise to always laugh, make each other smile and never take life too seriously? Do you promise to see your life together as the adventure that it is, full of challenges and new experiences, delicious food and great friends?

Megan and Bob: We do.

Malina: I now invite Bob and Meg to exchange rings.

Him: Take this ring as a reminder of all my promises and a choice, made every day, to be in love.

Me: Take this ring as a reminder of all my promises and a choice, made every day, to be in love.

Malina: No one but you can declare yourselves married, despite the rights my online ordination by the Church of Universal Life may confer. You started your lives together 3 years ago and start the rest of them today.

Begin this crazy thing called marriage then, with a kiss.

don't you want God at your wedding?

Awww...this picture is heartwarming... Alison Conklin Photography

*caution religious stuff ahead...*

I was dumb struck. Here was this girl. Telling me that she was going to get married in a church because she wanted God to be there, and then questioned "you're getting married outside? why don't you want God to be at your wedding?"

Really?

This is just one more element that confirms the fact that weddings make some people say/do really weird/freaky/tacky stuff. And with something this ridiculous, I just had to address it. Publicly.

I see God in nature. And not only do I see Him, but I experience God in nature. When I'm outside I feel the presence of all good things. It's more of a spiritual place for me than any church has ever been. What's perfect is that My Guy feels the same way. Getting married outside, in Flagstaff, is the perfect place for us.

My relationship with the church has shifted a bit over the years (this isn't exactly the place to discuss such things...sooo....). I realize that my religion believes the Eucharist to be the physical body of Christ...so technically getting married in a Catholic church is literally getting married before Christ himself. Buuuuuuut...I know God to be everywhere. In the trees. The leaves. The sand. The rain. He's not one to be confined to a house of gold and colorful glass.

We chose our ceremony space based on what feels right for us spirituality, not necessarily based on the religious elements we hail from. I don't feel that we am loosing anything by doing this, and I certainly don't feel that God would rather us marry any other way.

He will be there. He always is.

*ENTER TO WIN SOMETHING PURDY FROM COSABELLA*

ceremony stuff

see the rest of this crazy lovely wedding at Design*Sponge

I was recently blessed to be in the same area code as our dear friend/wedding officiant a couple weeks ago. The two of us sat down to discuss some wedding "stuff." I had my notebook in hand, as well as a list of all those helpful bridal blog suggestions I've gathered about composing the ceremony. Most of the "stuff" My Guy and I will actually have to compose - to find which readings we like the MOST. Remember, my future hubby is an English teacher, and I have a love for the written word as well. We have a list of suggested readings that is a tad-freaking-over-whelming.

For example: Shakespeare. I love him. I loved my summer at Shakespeare camp...so much so that when I returned home I no longer wanted to be pre-med in college. I wanted to be a Shakespearean actress! I kid you not. The fantasy lasted a couple weeks...but it was there. (and yes, I totally rocked out at Shakespeare camp...it was rad!)

So then, Meg asked which play/passage/scene did we want to include from Shakespeare. I looked at her blankly. I had no idea. Romeo & Juliet? How do you pick? How do you scrounge for those passages that melt your heart? I only recently began dog-earring the bottom pages of books I never want to forget. How do we sift through freaking Shakespeare!?

Spark Notes.

Meg is an English teacher too. She knew exactly where to look. Now you do too.

kiss the bride

Julie Harris Photography

I was recently asked what kind of "kiss" we were going to indulge ourselves in once we were pronounced husband and wife.

I don't know.

But I do hope it's as pretty and passionate as this one.

victory #1: our officiant

(I love that she's sneaking a peak at her new hubby....too cute)

Well. I suppose the first victory is probably that we are "engaged"...yay! But honestly, the news I'm about to confirm made My Guy and me so very excited...

we officially have our officiant!

We asked one of our best friend's to preside over our ceremony...and she ACCEPTED! And she's EXCITED! And we're ELATED!

This friend of ours was recently married to her childhood/high school/college sweetheart, and is therefore a newlywed herself...yay! (her wedding picture is above). She is one of my favorite people to walk the Earth and I knew within the first few moments of meeting her that our souls were friends (no joke). She embraces the most honest and sacred components of what love is, and radiates that to those around her. She is warm and lovely and wonderful and kind, and luckily, there is nobody we know who is as talented a wordsmith and poet than she.

Details are fuzzy...like her getting ordained...but we'll figure that out. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful person in our lives, and that she will be there to bring us into our spiritual union!

the worst wedding traditions

picture via Tacky Weddings (which is hysterical btw)

I nodded in agreement with this list....read the full explanation here if you're so inclined. Reprinted on Perfect Bound:

Big Bridal Parties

Matching Bridesmaids

Long Vows

Throwing Rice

Assigned Seating

Expensive Wedding Favors

Throwing the Bouquet **

Removing the Garter **

Drunken Toasts

Leaving For the Honeymoon the Morning After
A Bridal Party Head table (I added this because I think they are awkward...the are awkward if you are IN the bridal party yet your date has to sit at another table without you...and they are awkward because the bridal party faces the guests and eats their food in front of everyone...and they are awkward because they can't easily communicate with anyone except the two people sitting next to them)
Smashing cake in each other's face (I'm sure many people disagree with me on this one...but I really hate this. It just doesn't come across as "playful" to me...it's weird.)

*note: My Guy happens to love these traditions. He thinks they are hilarious and totally necessary for our own celebration. (Makes me wonder a lil about him actually.) And no matter how much convincing he thinks I need, I will not be groped in front of my parents while he searches under my dress for a garter. Not gonna happen. It's just not my scene. AND I refuse to highlight the "singleness" of some of my girlfriends and family members...I always hate being singled out to go and try to catch the bouquets of my newly married friends. It's awkward. Eh...just a personal preference.

What are your least favorite wedding traditions?

ENTER TO WIN 125 INVITATIONS OR SAVE-THE-DATES HERE!

will you marry us?

here

To me, our ceremony is the most important part of the entire wedding celebration. It's always been such a priority for me to be married by someone who knows us and loves us as a couple...someone that I respect and who has a beautiful sense of what love is. I have a friend in mind who I would just LOVE to marry us. This person isn't a minister and isn't ordained...just a friend, one of our favorite people. So far, My Guy and I have discussed it a little bit and we think that it could be a huge imposition to ask this friend to do this huge thing (this friend has one of those crazy life schedules and lives far far away.)

So then I was thinking, we could ask an old friend of mine from college. He left the summer between freshman and sophomore year to enter seminary to become a Catholic priest. We've kept in contact over the years and he's becoming ordained this summer (so exciting!). We dated a little bit way back in the day, which is why I don't know if that is totally appropriate...can a guy you used to date be involved with your wedding (granted he's a priest now...but still?)

I'm just throwing this stuff out there into the blogosphere...I'm just thinking about it a lot lately and sometimes writing about stuff makes it a little easier to process.

How hard is it to be ordained online? I've heard people can do that easily, but I've never looked into it...have you?? I also thought: we could get married at the courthouse to make it legal and then perhaps have that ceremony with our friends/family and our friend can officiate?

Geez. Options.

confessions of a shy bride

here

When I divulge to people that I'm really a very shy person I usually hear, "what!?" "you're not shy! you're outgoing!". Well. Dude. It's the truth. It's possible to be outgoing and shy... I am. I'm not comfortable in crowds of people I don't know (random house parties = not always my scene), and sometimes I can even feel shy in a group of people I do know! I don't know what it is. Don't let me fool you, I make friends very easily, and tend to get along with many different types of folks (I am just really fascinated with people which is why I went into medicine in the first place). But, I still tend to be shy.

I've had a couple conversations with friends of mine that are brides-to-be. A couple of them are SO excited to walk down the aisle and have everyone smiling back at them...I am so not that way. I'm terrified of people looking at me. Especially from behind? Really? I can't even handle the thought of people watching me at all - my face is turning a little red just thinking about it. And it's not just the watching! It's the attention! I'm not really a center of attention kinda girl. Well, not usually. I have my moments.

I bet my best friends are reading this and rolling their eyes as they probably think I'm speaking nonsense. That's why they are my besties...they know me. I guess I will just bank on the fact that the crowd at our wedding will be full of my buds, in which case my nerves won't even show up at the door.

Sara wrote a little bit about this concept last week. Interesting stuff.

czech out these traditions

here

These are some of the fun lil tidbits I discovered about Bohemian/Czech wedding traditions:

here

Wreath of rosemary: traditionally the bridesmaids made a wreath of rosemary for the bride to wear—it symbolizes the wish for wisdom, love, and loyalty.

here

After the ceremony, friends of the groom would hang a rope decorated by flowers, ribbons, and empty bottles. The groom needed to pay his friends in order to pass through the rope and pay himself out of the sins of his youth. (interesting concept, no?)

here

To start off the reception, someone in the wedding party would break a plate at the feet of the bride and groom. The newlyweds would then proceed to sweep the chips together to insure happiness and show a willingness to work together.

here

Before the ceremony, the bride would prepare kolaches (a very traditional Czech pastry...huge yum factor) and present them to her soon to be parents-in-law. If they were made well it was a sign that she would be a good housewife and cook for their son. (I just learned how to make these bad boys...hit up simplyfreckles for a how-to someday in the near future.)

here

Brides strictly follow the tradition of wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. However, the borrowed item must belong to a friend who is already married and the something old must be a family heirloom.

Throwing rice at the newlyweds was a way to ensure fertility. (were you ever a Girl Scout? I remember learning that the founder of the organization WENT DEAF on her wedding day because a grain of rice got thrown into her ear and punctured her ear drum...yikes!)

here

At the reception, following a traditional Czech wedding song, the bride’s veil/shoes and the groom’s shoes are carried around by the best man and maid of honor so that guests could put in some money for the honeymoon. (this reminds me of the dollar dancing with the bride and groom which I hope to God we don't do...asking for money is not really my favorite thing)

[umm...I couldn't think of an appropriate picture here]

At one point during the reception, the groomsmen "kidnap" the bride and hide her (?). The groom must find her within a specific period of time, or he has to buy her back from his friends, to symbolize the fact that he has promised to care for and protect her. (I hate being cynical ...but ...really??)

Interesting stuff!

info found from here, here, here and here

czech it out

here

I'm a full fledged American girl, with a fond affection for our founding fathers (especially Ben and John...ooooo...goosebumps!) and an appreciation for the red, white and blue. I dig apple pie more than any person probably should, and there is nothing more fantastic than catching a live ball game with My Guy. Yet, I still feel this deep connection to my ancestral roots. Perhaps it stems from the fact that I would spend hours pouring over the photo albums at my grandmother's house as a child.

Both of my parents are of strong Czech descent - and my blood is pretty close to 100% Czech (nuts huh). As a youngster I was fairly obsessed with Bohemian tradition and culture (especially those crazy colorful traditional dresses!). I was thinking it might be interesting to learn about wedding traditions associated with it. My Guy is Irish (with the raddest Irish last name...believe me) and I'm totally curious to know those wedding traditions as well.

OK, truth be told I think different culture's traditions (wedding, holiday, anything!) are ridiculously fascinating to learn out about. We attended a Norwegian wedding this fall where 60% of those in attendance flew to the states from Norway - they did such fun stuff at that reception. There was chair standing, kissing the groom when his bride stepped out, fun songs sung, and speeches (holy sh*t there were speeches). Loved it.

Are you going to incorporate any cultural traditions into your wedding celebration?

ceremony inspiration

Well, Sara over at 2000 Dollar Budget Wedding has done it again...fed me some of that good old inspiration that tugs at my heartstrings about planning a meaningful ceremony. She posted unique and interesting wedding scripts, including the words spoken at her own heartfelt ceremony...along with others (some from the blogs we all love). I thought this was the perfect resource for those of us who want to create a truly special ceremony of our own...but might not know where to start. So prepare to be inspired:

Andrea & Ariel
Kat & Justin
Jen & Shell
Peonie & The Boy
Sara & Matt

I've glanced around the web a bit in search of wedding prayers and ceremony ideas...had a hard time finding really good stuff. So this will be golden.

*no clue where I yoinked this photo...I loved her hair...so I just saved it to my computer long ago (but i think it was a TV show photo?)

wedding wish

once wed

So, I spent the good portion of this evening browsing ceremony prayers. Many made me teary eyed. OK, all of them. I am extra lovey-dovey these days. Perhaps is because I'm a zillion miles away from My Guy this month. Add that to the romantic weather of the northwest (chilly nights, rain clouds, and blooming flowers). These prayers also made me think about my parents, how much they love each other, and how much I adore them. I hope they live forever.

Irish Marriage Blessing

May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

"May you know nothing but happiness" is such a nice wedding wish...isn't it? Oh oh, and the "May you see your children's children." Aww. Found here. Where are you finding ceremony inspiration? Please share!